Hot water bottle package



& 2,819,791

Jan. 14, 1958 J. F; COBURN HOT WATER BOTTLE PACKAGE 2 Sheets Shet 1 I Filed June 13, 1955 Y INVENTOR. JO N .F. COB URN.

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J% F. goal RN BY f r ATTK United States Patent HOT WATER BOTTLE PACKAGE John F. Coburn, Akron, Ohio, assignor to The B. F. Goodrich Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 13, 1955, Serial No. 514,811

3 Claims. (Cl. 206-175) The invention relates to article packages and especially to hot water bottle and other like therapeutic container packages suitable for display, sales and storage purposes.

The term hot water bottle as used herein is defined as a nonrigid therapeutic container for liquid, ice and the like known in the commercial drug and sundries trade as hot water bottles, combination syringes, fountain syringes, round ice bags, invalid cushions and related containers made of latex, molded natural or synthetic rubber, thermoplastic resin, or other suitable impervious rubber-like material and generally having a flattened rectangular, oval, circular or other suitable shape in the unfilled condition as for packaging and storing purposes.

Heretofore, hot water bottles, fountain syringes, ice bags, and other related therapeutic containers of the household nonrigid type together with their closure plugs, stoppers, rubber hose and other accessory or attachment fittings have been generally packaged in stiff cardboard boxes which are generally of two-part construction, wherein the top part or lid of the box has dependent side and end walls telescopically and detachably fitting the corresponding upright side and end walls of the bottom part. The two-part boxes are expensive, are cumbersome to handle and display for sales purposes, and the contained article is generally examined by a prospective purchaser by virtue of opening the box thereby subjecting the article to accidental damage and loss of accessories. Also, stiff cardboard boxes of one-piece construction having a pivotally connected end closure flap inserted in an open end of the box, have been used to package hot water bottles and the like and their accessory fittings, but have not been wholly satisfactory for the intended packaging purposes for much the same reasons. Some such box constructions have included transparent windows of stifi sheet plastic material for viewing purposes which windows have been objectionably fragile and have objectionably increased the cost of the box.

An object of the invention is to provide hot water bottle package means for overcoming the foregoing and other difliculties and disadvantages.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an improved closed package of a nonrigid therapeutic container such, for example, as a hot water bottle, fountain syringe and the like including the associated attachments or accessories thereof; to provide for convenience and economy of assembling the respective parts into a compact package and for closing the package; to provide for retaining and protecting effectively the contained article yet facilitating visual observation of the article in the closed package; to provide for holding the hot water bottle, fountain syringe or other contained article in the package without requiring a two-piece, separable top box construction or an integral one-piece box construction; to provide for distinctiveness and attractiveness of appearance of the package; to provide for ease of tease ofre-packaging of the same; to provide for main- 2,819,791 Patented Jan. 14, 1958 taining the contained article in position upon a supporting or mounting surface and avoiding objectionable relative movement of the contained parts; and to provide for simplicity of construction, convenience and inexpensiveness of manufacture and for eflectiveness of operation.

These and other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of the specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an improved hot water bottle package constructed in accordance with and embodying the invention, parts constituting the package being shown in separated disassembled relation,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the package in the assembled condition, and

Fig. 3 is a view showing the back of the package with its open end closed, parts being broken away.

The hot water bottle package 5 includes a support or base member 6 of rectangular, square, polygonal, circular or other suitable shape for the contained article and of flexible yet relatively stifl, bendable, strong, continuous sheet-like material such, for example, as solid, uniform thickness cardboard or pasteboard or other equivalent material suitable for the intended purpose. The base member has a divided peripheral margin providing for the shape shown in the drawings, spaced-apart side marginal portions 7 and 8, respectively, preferably continuous and uniform width, and providing a top end marginal portion 9 and a bottom end marginal portion 10, each preferably continuous. The bottom end marginal portion may be wider than the top end marginal portion, although not necessarily limited thereto, to provide relatively greater covering and holding area for good protection and retaining purposes. The base member has a flat mounting portion 11 of a shape to accommodate the contained article, and in the embodiment shown in the drawings has greater length than width and desirably a polygonal or rectangular shape. The mounting portion extends between and is bounded by and integral with the marginal portions 7, 8, 9 and 10, which mounting portion has smooth front 12 and back 13 faces. Broken lines indicated by the numerals 7a, 8a, 9a and 10a in Fig. 1 show the boundaries of the mounting portion 11 corresponding to the lines of flexure and bending or folding over of the marginal portions which in their inwardly bent upwardly inclined disposition constitute retaining or hold-down flaps. The mounting portion 11 has greater dimensions and greater area than the contained article so as to readily accommodate a hot Water bottle 14 in its flat, unfilled, extended condition.

The mounting portion 11 resists objectionable deformation and tearing or puncturing, and the marginal portions 7, 8, 9, 10 not only resist objectionable deformation but in their inwardly bent disposition tend to flex resiliently upward about the lines 7a, 8a, 9a and 10a to a more upright or vertical position by virtue of the flexibility yet stiffness and bendable characteristics of the material of the base member 6. This inherent opening and self-return to a more upright position of the marginal portions advantageously facilitates maintaining a transparent protective bag 15 of the package 5 in a taut, snug fitting condition, together with ease of removal from and replacement of parts upon the base member 6.

The mounting portion 11 of the package 5 accommodates and has mounted or disposed upon its front face 12 the hot water bottle 14 or therapeutic container itself and a plurality of attachments therefor including a length of flexible hose 16 of suitable rubber which may be arranged in looped or coiled form. In the particular embodiment shown in the drawings, the attachments also include an externally threaded bottle stopper 17 and a combination screw cap or closure plug 18 having a rigid tubular extension 19 for fitting an end of the hose 16, a shut-ofi valve or pinch clamp 20 for the hose 16, a rigid rectal slip pipe 21, and a rigid vaginal slip pipe 22. The hot Water bottle 14 may be of flexible latex or rubber material and is of known construction. It may have a flattened and rectangular shape with rounded corners, a projecting tab 23 at its bottom end, and a tubular filler or mouth portion 24 desirably of oval shape in cross-section at the top end of and in communication with the interior of the bottle 14, which mouth portion includes a projecting tab 25 and is internally threaded to engage the bottle stopper 17 or the closure plug 18.

In the package 5 the hot water bottle 14 is disposed directly upon the front face 12 of the mounting portion 11 with the bottom projecting tab 23 nearest the bottom end marginal portion so that the latter portion in its inwardly bent and upwardly inclined condition, as

shown in Fig. 2, overlies not only the tab 23 but also the lower end margin of the bottle 14 to retain the same in position on the base member 6. The top projecting tab is nearest the top end marginal portion 9 so that the latter portion extends over the tab 25 substantially to the edge of the oval mouth portion 24 of the bottle in the inwardly bent and upwardly inclined condition of the top end marginal portion 9, whereby the top end of the bottle 14 is retained in place without objectionable crushing or flattening of the oval mouth portion 24. The side marginal portions 7, 8 of the base member 6 in their inwardly bent and upwardly inclined condition have their opposite end parts overlappingly beneath and contacting adjacent end parts of the bent and inclined end marginal portions 9, 10 of the member 6, and also overlie and overlap the adjacent side margins of the bottle 14 to retain the bottle 14 in position on the base member 6.

The length of hose 16 is arranged in a coiled or a looped disposition and positioned so as to extend about the periphery of the hot water bottle 14 and beneath the bent and inclined marginal portions 7, 8, 9 and 10, reaches of the hose extending over and seating against the top tab 25 and desirably the bottom tab 23 to cooperate with the bent and inclined end marginal portions 9 and 10 to retain the bottle against relative movement on the base member The shut-off valve clamp 20 and the rectal slip pipe 21 may be disposed on the mounting portion 11 at one lower corner area thereof beyond the bottle 14 and in the space beneath the lower end marginal portion 10 and, for example, the side marginal portion 7 in their engaged inclined disposition. The combination cap 18 and the vaginal slip pipe 22 may be mounted in like manner on the mounting portion 11 at its other lower corner area beyond the bottle 14, and beneath the lower end marginal portion 10 and the side marginal portion 8 in their engaged inclined disposition. The bottle stopper 17 may be mounted on the mounting portion 11 at one of its upper corner areas so that the stopper is retained in place by either the end marginal portion 9, or a side marginal portion, or both in the engaged inclined condition of such portions.

A closed end protective bag 15 of transparent, thermoplastic, thin sheet-like material such, for example, as polyethylene, plasticized polyvinyl chloride, and other suitable thermoplastics, and desirably of tubular construction, entirely encloses and snugly fits in relatively taut condition against the assembly of the base member 6 including its engaged inclined marginal portions 7, 8, 9, 10 and of the hot water bottle 14 and its attachments 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22. The protective bag 15 having initially a flattened shape, has a closed lower end 26 provided preferably by heat-sealing overlapping opposed wall portions of the bag, and has a length substantially .greater than .the .overall length of the base member 6 to provide an open upper end portion 27 of the bag 4 which can be folded back upon itself at the back face 13 of the base member 6 and desirably detachably secured to the adjacent wall of the bag, thereby completely closing the protective bag and hence the package 5.

The arrangement makes feasible conveniently slipping the protective bag 15 open end portion 27 first over the assembled base member 6 and hot water bottle 14 with its attachments until the closed end 26 contacts the lower end of the base member and the upper end portion 27 projects beyond the upper end of the base member 6 as shown in Fig. 2. The package 5 is then closed by folding the upper end portion 27 of the bag upon itself at the back face of the base member 6 in the manner shown in Fig. 3, and detachably secured in the folded condition to the adjacent wall of the bag as by a strip 28 of pressure-sensitive tape, so that the contained articles of the package are fully protected. The extensively flexible Wall of the protective bag readily conforms smoothly to the base member 6 and at the same time resists upward flexure i. e. opening-up of the inclined marginal portions and maintains the end marginal portions 9 and 10 in overlapping contacting relation to .the adjacent underlying end parts of the side marginal portions 7 and 8, as shown in Fig. 2. The clear transparent wall of the protective bag overlying the hot water bottle 15 is desirably in taut condition and permits visual observation of the contained bottle as well as the base member 6 which, if desired, can .have a suitable color finish and a suitable decorative design and printing thereon for sales appeal and advertising purposes.

The package 5 can be conveniently opened by detaching the adhesive tape strip 28 and unfolding the folded upper end portion 27 of the bag 15, whereby the assembly of the base member 6 and hot water bottle with its attachments is readily slipped out of the bag through its upper open end, after which the engaged inclined marginal portions 7, 8, 9, 10 of the base member 6 can be disengaged and opened up so that hot water bottle and attachments are fully accessible for removal and use. Of course, after use of the hot water bottle the package can be re-assembled for storage purposes. If such packaged storage of the hot water bottle .is not desired, the protective bag 15 can advantageously be used for other container and protective purposes.

Variations may be made without departing .from the scope of the invention as it is defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A hot water bottlepackage comprising flexible, continuous sheet-like material including spaced-apart side marginal portions, a top and a relatively wider bottom end marginal portion, and a continuous mounting portion extending between and bounded by and integral with said marginal portions, said side and said top and bottom end marginal portions each having an inwardly flexed overlapping disposition relative to a face of said mounting portion, both said flexed end marginal portions beingjin superimposed overlapping contacting relation to opposite end parts of said flexed side marginal portions, a 'flathot water bottle including a projecting flat tab at its month end disposed upon said mounting'portion withsaid side marginal portions above, closely adjacent and overlapping the side margins of said bottle and with said bottom end marginal portion above, closely adjacent and overlapping the closed end of said bottle and with the top end marginal portion above, closely adjacent and overlapping said tab of the bottle to provide an assembly, an open end protective bag of transparent, flexible, thermoplastic sheet-like material entirely enclosing the assembly and means for detachably closing an end portion of said bag at its open end.

2. A hot water bottle package comprising flexible, bendable, continuous sheet-like material including-spaced-apart .side marginal portions, a top and a bottom endmarginal portion, and, a continuous .mount ns port pn.ptrgeneralb' rectangular shape in plan extending between and bounded by and integral with said marginal portions, said side and said top and bottom end marginal portions each having an inwardly bent and upwardly inclined disposition relative to a front face of said mounting portion, both said end marginal portions being in superimposed overlapping contacting relation to opposite end parts of said side marginal portions, a flat hot water bottle including a flat projecting tab at its month end and at its closed end disposed upon said mounting portion and a length of hose extending peripherally about the bottle and over said tabs and disposed upon said mounting portion with said side marginal portions above, closely adjacent and overlapping the side margins of said bottle and also adjacent reaches of the hose and with said bottom end marginal portion above, closely adjacent and overlapping the closed end tab and adjacent portion of said bottle and a reach of hose over the closed end tab and with the top end marginal portion above, closely adjacent and overlapping said mouth end tab of the bottle and a reach of hose over said mouth end tab to provide an assembly, an open end protective bag of transparent, flexible, thermoplastic sheetlike material entirely enclosing and fitting conformingly against the assembly With an end portion of said bag at its open end folded upon itself and at the back face of said mounting portion, and means for detachably securing the latter folded end portion to .the adjacent wall of the bag.

3. A hot water bottle package comprising flexible, bendable, continuous sheet-like material including spaced-apart side marginal portions of uniform Width, a top and a bottom end marginal portion with the bottom end marginal portion being of greater width than the top end marginal portion, and a flat continuous mounting portion of greater length than width extending between and bounded by and integral with said marginal portions, said side and said top and bottom end marginal portions each having an inwardly bent and upwardly inclined disposition relative to a front face of said mounting portion, both said end mar ginal portions being in superimposed overlapping contacting relation to opposite end parts of said side marginal portions, a flat hot water bottle and a plurality of attachments therefor including a coiled length of hose extending peripherally entirely about the bottle disposed upon said mounting portion with said side marginal portions thereof above, closely adjacent and overlapping the side margins of said bottle and also adjacent reaches of the coiled hose and with said bottom end marginal portion above, closely adjacent and overlapping the closed end and a projecting tab thereon of said bottle and a reach of said hose overlying said tab and with the top end marginal portion above, closely adjacent and overlapping a second projecting tab of the bottle at its mouth end and a reach of said hose overlying said second tab and with the remaining attachments being positioned in corner spaces extending between said bottle and said side and end marginal portions with the latter overlapping the attachments to pro vide an assembly, an open and protective bag of transparent, flexible, thermoplastic sheet-like material entirely enclosing and snugly fitting in taut condition against the said assembly with an end portion of said bag at its open end folded upon itself at the back face of said mounting portion, and means for detachably securing the latter folded end portion to the adjacent wall of the bag.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 177,344 Mattson May 16, 1876 191,083 Sutton May 22, 1877 1,679,146 Appling July 31, 1928 2,124,324 Week July 19, 1938 2,149,030 Moore Feb. 28, 1939 2,194,168 Klein Mar. 19, 1940 2,518,711 Mulford Aug. 15, 1950 2,689,079 Timer Sept. 14, 1954 

